Mining-machine truck



N. D. LEVIN. MINING MACHINE TRUCK. v APPLICATION FILED NOV. 21,19I'6.

RENEWED APR. 311x921).

N. D. LE'vrN.

MINING MACHINE TRUCK.

APPLICATION FILED NO V. 2l, I9I6. RENEWED APR. 3, |920.

Patented Oct. 4., 192i..

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

. LVVENTOP.

ATTORNEY.

irc.

NILS D. L EVIN, 0F COLUMBUS, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE JEFFREY MANUFACTURING i COMPANY, OF COLUMBUS, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

MINING-mamma amica.

Application. led. November 21, 1916, Serial No. 132,683. Renewed April 3, 1920. Serial No. 371,148.

To all whom t may concern: i' n. Be it known that I, NILs D. LEVIN, a c1t1- zen of the United States, residing at Columv chine preparatory to its operation and to the reloading of the said machine after the completion of said operation. y

In the mining of coal in accordance with the room and pillar system machines are commonly used which are adapted to cut horizontal kerfs at the base of the coal body across the end of the room. As the working faces are commonly short, seldom exceeding twenty-five or thirty feet, such machines are capable of cutting a number of working places in a single shlft, and it is necessary, for economical operation,y to provide means to expeditiously transport the machine. from a completed room to the next one to be cut..

It is the especial object of this invention to provide a truck of the class described, especially adapted to use in a very low, ve1n of coal, wherein the forward end of the truck may be lo ered to dischargeor to receive a mining Iachine without a corresponding elevation of the devices mounted upon the rear end of the truck.

Another object is to provide improved retarding devices'by. which movement of the truck along the tracks of the mine may be checked.

These and other objects will appear in the following specification reference beinghad to the accompanying drawings of which- .Figure 1 is an elevation of the preferred embodiment of my invention.

Fig. 2 is a planview of the machine shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is aside elevation of the truck inv position toreceiveor discharge a mining machine.

Fig. 4 is a section along the line a-v-/l of .the two parts connected by a suitable hinge.

The forward section consists of the longitudinal angle bars 1 and the cross members 2, 3, and 4 which are securely riveted together. Near their forward ends the lon tudinal anglesl are bent outwardly to faellitate the entrance ,of the mining machine between the upstanding flanges 5 by which it is guided to and retained 1n place upon the truck. To the lower sides of the angle bars 1 are secured the journal boxesv 6 and to these are attached the forwardly extending truss bars 7 which are attached at their forward ends to the angle bars 1 to stien the frame. In these journal boxes 6 is mounted ed the front axle 8 the wheels 9 of which are adapted to travel along the rails 10 of the mine track.

The rear section of the frame consists of the longitudinal angle bars 11 joined by the cross members 12, 13 and 14. To the cross members 3 of the front sectionV is secured the hinge castings 15 having apertures registering with similar apertures in the hinge lock 16 fixed to the cross member 11v of the rear section and through these apertures extends the hollow shaft 17 by which the two parts of the frame are joined together. To the under side of the longitudinal angle bars 11 are attached the journal boxes18 in which is mounted two rea-r axles 19 to which are attached the wheels 20 adapted to travel along the rails 10. Truss bars 21 are attached at their rearward ends to the angle.v

bars 11 'and are secured to the under sides of the journal boxes 18 and the hinge blocks 16 to stifen the frame.

The forward section of the truck constitutes a skid frame along which the mining machine may be conveniently moved and upon which it rides while being transported from place to place. lThis skid frame extends rearwardly of the hinge between the .upstanding flanges 22 of the angle bars l1 Patented 9ct. 4l, i921.,

which engage the flanges 5 to impart lateral stiffness to the truck and relieve the hinge of strain due to curves and irregularities of the track. A latch 23 attached 'to the cross member 13 is adapted to engage the flange 24 of the cross member 4 to holdthe two sections of the truck in proper relation for traveling. A bracket 25 attached to `the cross member 4 is arranged to form a convenient coupling for the handling rope 25a of the mining machine to draw the machine onto the truck.

. Attached to the axle 8 is a sprocket wheel 26 which is adapted to be connected through a suitable endless chain 27 with a sprocket wheel 28 upon the mining machine, to transmit power from the motor of the mining machine to the driving wheel of the truck to propel it along the mine tracks. -As the arrangement of parts of the mining machine are set forth in my copending application Serial No. 132,681, filed November 21, 1916, a description of them at this 'time is not thought to be required.

The axles 8 and 19 are coupled together through the sprocket wheel 29 and 30 and the endless chain 31 in the mannericommon to self-propelling trucks. Attached to the axle 19 is a brakek drum 32 encircled by a brake band 33. The brake band 33 is attached at one end to the brake shoe 34 which is pivotally attached to a brake lever 35 by a pin 36. The ends of the pin 36V project on either side of the brake shoe 34 and extend into the slotsl 37 of the lugs 38 projecting downwardly from the truck member 12 to support the brake mechanism. The other end of the brake band 33 is adjustably attached to the lower end of the brake lever 35. Connected with the upper end of the brake lever 35 is arearwardly extending pull rod 39 which is connected with the hand lever 40 pivotally mounted upon the truck member 13. When the hand lever 40 is rotated rearwardly the brake shoe 34 is drawn against the brake drum 32 and the lower end of the brake lever 35 is rotated V 33 to resist the rotation of the axle 19 and as the axles 8 and 19 are connected together through the chain 31 to also resist the rotation of the axle'8 yto check the movement of the truck along the track. A notched are 41 is provided to engage the hand lever 40 and maintain tension upon the brake.

As the floor of the mine follows the dip of the coal vein and the tracks are commonly laid directly upon the door, the grades of mine tracks are often so steep that the re tardation of the wheels does not aEord suf flcient control of the movements of the truck. To meet such conditions l have provided an auxiliary brake comprising shoes 42 adapted to engage the track rail. The shoes 42 are attached to stems 43 which are `hand wheel 55 for its manipulation.

Leccese vertically movable in apertures of the cross bars 13 and 44 of the truck frame. Formed in the stems 43 are recesses 45 which engage the forked rocker arms 46 attached to either end of the shaft 47 which is rotatably supported in the hollow hinge shaft 17. An auxiliary bearing 48 aHords additional Support for the shaft 47. Attached to the shaft 47 is an upstanding arm 49 to which is connected the pull rod 50. The rod 50 is also connected toa rocker arm 51 attached to a short horizontal shaft 52 journaled in aper--.

tures of the auxiliary frame 53 attached to the truck frame near its rear end. Jeun naled in the auxiliary frame 53is a vertical shaft 54 to the top of which is attached a The shaft 54 is screw threaded and is provided with a nut 56 in engagement with the rocker arm 57 of the horizontal shaft 52. lVhen the hand wheel y55 is rotated in one direction thenut 56 travels upwardly and rotates the shaft 52 to pull the rod 50 thereby rotating the shaft 47 to force. the brake shoes 42 into contact with the track rails 10 and retard the movement of the truck along said rails. A rotation of the wheel 55 in the reverse direction moves the brake shoe away from the trackand allows free movement of the truck.

Mounted upon the rear 'end of the truck is a cable reel 58 upon which is windable a conductor cable 59 the fre-e end of which is adapted to be connected to any convenient stationary source of electrical supply, such as the trolley wires suspended above the tracks in the entries of the mine. Through this cable is supplied the electric current to actuate the motor of the mining machine, both for propelling the truck and for operating the. mining machine. The* cable reel 58 is provided with trunnions which are supported in journal bearings 60 carried by a U shaped frame 61 the ends of which bear on su1table supports on the truck frame. Electrical connections are made through the bearings 60 between the cable 59 and a similar cable 62 which extends t0 the mining machine and is adapted to he connected therewith whether the mining machineis positioned upon the truck or upon the Hoor of the mine. Attached tothe cable reel 58 is a rope sheave 63. about which 'passes an endless rope belt 64 which also enment of the cable to the trolley wire. The

. may slide smooth] transporting minin Support of the frame 6l upon the truck is so4 positioned with relation to the center 'of gravity of the reel 58 that a part of the` weight of the reel will be carried by the rope belt 64 to produce the proper belt tension to wind the cable 59 or to allow a slippage of the belt 64 when the strain on the cable is in excess of a predetermined amount. A casting 71 having chain engaging flanges 72 is attached to the truck frame to deect the chain to afford clear space for the handlin of the mining machine.

, hen the truck, with the mining machine upon it has arrived at the place where the machine is to be unloaded, the handling rope of the mining machine is drawn out andsecured to a suitable anchor in advance of the machine. The latch 23 isv then disengaged from the flange 24 and the machine drawn forward. As the center of gravity of the mining machine passes the axle 8 the ends of the truck drop to contact with the floor vof the mine and the mining machine reloading, the han ling rope of the mining machine is attached to the bracket 25 and the machine is drawn ontothe skid angle bars 1. As the center of ygravity of the mining machine passes' rearward of the axle 8 the middle part of the truck frame will berdepressed to elevate the ends and the latch 23 rengaged with the flange 24 to `maintain the traveling relation of the truck sections.- Before the machine is moved forward for unloading the chain 27 is removed from the sprocket wheel 28 to allow the mining machine to move. freely from theA truck.' When reloading, as themachine moves back along the angle bars l, this chain 27 is replaced upon the sprocket wheel 28 so that as soon as the machine is in place the truck is ready to travel.

When trucks of this sort are used for machines they must sustain a heavy weig t, the machines weighing four thousand pounds or more. The forwardly piiojecting part (the cutting apparatus) of one of the mining machines is from seven or eight to ten feet long, but relatively light, while the parts at the rear end of the mechanism are exceedingly heavy, these comprising the heavy electric motor or engine, the shafting and gear wheels for driving the cutting apparatus, and for eff fecting the movement of the machine bodily over the ground, the feeding devices comrising heavy masses of cable 011 reels and lieavy driving mechanism.

skid frame 1 is depended on to cause the forward and downward sliding of the mining machine to the floor considerable labor or exertion of 1power is required to elevate the rear art of the skid body. The higher this end 1s elevated the more readily will the off the truck. When` machine move forward. Heretofore when `tilting skid frames or body frames were used result was to throw the rear end of the body frame to a high plane when it was discharging the machine. not suflicientroom to permit the swinging of the rear end'of this frame to a high plane in order`to et a sharp downward inclination toward t e front.

I have provided a construction of parts and have so related them that the lifting of the rear end of the frame is. facilitated by the actions of various parts of the apparatus itself and the tilting is effected around a line in a low plane:

Moreover, I` provide means for applying power to'the rear end of the body frame to assist in liftin it at the time when the heavy part of the mining machine is resting upon that end. rlhe rear section of the frame is extended a considerable. distance behind the rear axle, and upon this rearwardly extending part of the frame is supported the reel with a heavy mass of 4copper and also the shafting and gearing byy which power is transmitted tothe reel, and also the parts by which the movements of the apparatus as an entirety along the track rails is controlled.

Consequently when the lock between the two frame sections is opened the rear frame section can be utilized for leverage, as power -can be transmitted from its longer rear arm l.around the rear wheel axle and through its forward shorter arm to the rear part of the front or skid frame section and cause the latter, and the machine thereon, to immediately commence to tilt. Power for this laround a low horizontal axis, the parts of the apparatus are quickly, and practically automatically, brought to the positions lwhere the front frame section allows the machine to easily slide forward to the ground. When the tilting of the body frame or I am aware that four-wheeled trucks have been heretofore proposed, each to have two frame sections hinged together, of which sections each was to be mounted so as to tilt on a transverse axis. But in the constructions s0 proposed, each of the frame sections was substantially a duplicate of the other. The

But in low mines there is vcombination of two frames each mounted hinging devices were to unite -the adjacent parts of the frame sections on an axial line at the rear extremity of the front section and at the front extremity of the rearvsection, the two sections being similar to each other, and similarly mounted; and the joining hinge being at the extremities of the adjacent ends, neither was adapted to exert any leverage on the other and, particularly,

neither was adapted to cause a relatively longer movementof the end of its companion section While it moved through a relatively short pat-h. at its end. j

In my mechanism a short vertical movement of the rear arm of the forward frame section results in. a much longer movement ofthe rear extremity ot the front frame section. The union hinge axis is in a plane, transverse to the front section, which is intermediate of the ends of the rear arm of that section. ABy preference this hinge axis is located considerably nearer the axis of support (the wheell axis) of the front frame section than it is to the rear end of that section. Consequently a slight movement vertically of the front end of the rear frame section causes a much longer movement of the rear end of the front section.

What I claim is 1. In a truck of the class described, the

for rotation about a wheel supported axle, a hinge connecting the frames, means to rotate the axle to propel the truck, and'means independent of theaxles to engage the track rails to retard the truck.

2. In a truck of the class described, the combination of a skid frame adapted to receive 'and support a mining machine, a second frame lhinged to the -skid frame, each frame supported upon and rotatable about a vwheel supported axle positioned` between said hinge and the end of its respective frame, and means to prevent movement of the frames relative to each other.

3. In a truck of the class described, the combination of two frames each mounted for rotation about a wheel supported axle, a hinge connecting the frames, means to prevent movement of the frames relative to each other, means to rotate the axles to propel the truck and means independent of the axles to engage the track rails to retard the movement of the truck.

4l, In a truck of the class described, the combination of two fra-mes each. mounted for rotation about a wheel supported axle, a hinge connecting the frames, means to prevent movement of `the frames relative to each other, 4means to rotatively connect the axles, means to rotate the axles to propel v the truck and means to engage the track rails to retard movement of the truck.

5 In a truck mechanism of the class descrlbed, the combination of a front load ward end of the second section being adapt-` ed to transmit power to the iirst section to elevate its rear end.

6. In a truck mechanism of the class described, the combination of the front loadcarrying frame section, mounted on a wheel support at an axis in a transverse plane intermediate of' the ends of said section and arranged to lhave its rear end lieunder and engage with the rear end of the load when the latter is in normal position on the truck,

and a second frame section mounted on a' wheel support having its axis in a transverse plane relatively near the front end of said rear section, and the rear part of said rear frame extendinw relatively a Along distance behind its axis, the front short arm of the rear section being hinged to the front section at an axis close to the axis of mounting of the front section.

7. In a truck of the class described, the combination of a front frame section, and a rear frame section, each mounted independently of the other on wheels at an axis in a transverse plane intermediate of its ends, the forward end of the rear section being hinged to the rear part of the front section at a transverse-line in front of the rear end of the front section, and the rear end of the front section extending from the hinge backward over the rear section whereby theirear section can be caused to raise the rear end of the front section a relatively long distance above the plane of the hinge,

8. In a truck of the class described. the combination of a wheel supported axle, a load-carrying frame section tiltably connected to said axle at an axis in a transverse plane intermediate of the endsof said section, a lsecond wheel supported axle,'and a second truck-frame section tiltably connected to the second axle at an axis in a transverse plane intermediate of the ends of said second section, one end of said second section being hinged to the first 'section at a transverse plane remote from the rear end of the latter, whereby a relatively short movement. of the second section causes a relatively long movement of the rear extremity of the first section.

9. In atruck of the class described., the combination of a wheel supported ax1e,..a load-carrying frame section connected to said axle and tiltable around an axis in a transverse plane intermediate of the ends of said section, a second wheel mounted axle,

and a second truck-frame section monnted 11. In a truck mechanism of the class deon the second axle and hinged to the firstl scribed, having two wheel mounted axles, frame section at a transverse line remote two vertically tiltable frame sections hinged from the rear end of said first section, said together, one being a load-carrying frame second frame section extending to the rear which when in normal position extends lonof the said second axle a relatively long gitudinally backward from the hinge axis distance whereby it is adapted to transmit over the other frame sectionand over the power to the first frame section and elevate rear axle, each frame section being pivoted the rear extremity of the latter to a horion its own axle, and the front end of the zontal plane above the plane of the hinge forward section being normally ree to tilt axis. downward when the front end of the rear 10. In a truck of the class described, the section tilts upward. combination of a front load=carrying frame l2. Ina truck mechanism of the class desection mounted on wheels to tilt vertically scribed, having two wheel mounted axles, around their axis, which axis is in a transtwo vertically tilting frame sections hinged verse plane intermediate of the ends of said together and each adapted to swing about a l front section, and the second truck-frame wheel axis, 'one of said sections extending the second frame section being adapted to section mounted on wheels to vibrate around from the hinge axis backward to overlie the their axis, which axis is in a transverse plane forward part of the other section and over intermediate of the ends of said second secthe rear axle. v

tion and the latter being hinged to the rst v In testimony whereof I aiix my signasection at a transverse line, which is interture, in the presence of two witnesses. mediate of the ends of the first section, and NILS D LEVI'N.

transmit power to the rear extremity of the Witnesses: front section and lift it to a horizontal plane DUDLEY T. FISHER, higher than the plane of the hinge axis. HARRY C. DEAN. 

